Prophecy of the Sun
by asianausdon
Summary: Alex Wang was just a regular Son of Apollo at camp, but the thing was, he sucked at EVERYTHING! Even archery. Now out of nowhere, he is expected to join the Seven on the Argo II and save the world from Gaea and the Giants. Talk about a lot of pressure. Can Alex rise up to the occasion and help the Seven on their quest, or will the world end? OC & Canon Pairings. HoH Spoilers. R&R!
1. Chapter 1: Rising Up

**This is my very first fanfiction guys! So please no flaming or anything. R&R and I'll try and update as often as possible. I also went to let everybody know that Alex's POV will not be the only one, I will have POV's of the entire crew, so stay tuned ;) One last thing! This story will contain Hoh Spoilers and it will continue on into the Blood of Olympus, or my own version of how the series is gonna end hahaha.**

Alex's POV

Missing curfew was always considered a bad thing among teenagers. Missing curfew at Camp-Half-Blood was considered extremely dangerous and VERY idiotic. And as always, I was an idiot who was in constant danger.

I ran through the forest outside the borders surrounding Camp-Half-Blood late at night with the camp harpies chasing me and screeching "Camper out of bed! Camper out of bed!"

I was drenched in sweat as well as being more confused about anything, which is saying a lot for a sixteen year old kid.

Let me start from the beginning though.

My name is Alex Wang, and I am a Son of Apollo, god of the sun, music, poetry, arts, and yada yada.

I came to Camp-Half Blood after what the older campers seemed to regard as the "Second Titan War", which definitely explained all the catastrophes that had happened about a year ago.

But forget that. You would think being a Son of Apollo and a demigod would be extremely awesome like I used to think when I first got here, but it turns out I'm not just a lousy teenager, but a pretty lousy "hero" too, if that's what I could even call myself.

What I mean is that in almost every aspect of my father's domain, I'm actually REALLY lousy at all those too.

I can't sing or play any instruments.

I can't do poetry or anything art-related.

I EVEN STINK AT ARCHERY! Which is supposed to be a given skill-set being Apollo's kid.

I must have been a mistake, which is a lot to say considering I'm the product of both a god and an incredibly amazing woman.

The only cool thing I could do that my half-siblings can't perfectly do is have the power to heal others. My ability to heal was considered something rare, because of the fact I didn't have to cast any incantations or need ambrosia and nectar to heal people. According to Chiron, I had the power to siphon off the energy of the daylight and use that to heal many degrees of injuries, even pretty fatal ones too if I can heal them in time, but that uses A LOT of my energy.

Sure, it's cool to be able to heal people, but I felt like being the medic of the group meant I had to be protected by others in order to save others. Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying I want to go out into the battle and fight because I love battle, blood, and glory! That's the Ares kids. I just want to be able to do something and not be helpless and watch all my friends die for me while I have to be sheltered and protected.

I wanted to be a lot like the famous Percy Jackson, savior of Camp Half-blood, Olympus, and the WORLD!

I'm getting off topic again, sorry, my ADHD does that to me a lot.

Any who, the reason I'm now running through a deadly forest filled with deadly monsters away from the safe comfort of my cabin and being chased by very hungry harpies was all because of my Dad.

I was training in the camp's stadium and its new state of the art combat system, with built-in fully functional automatons created by Leo and the other Hephaestus kids. The stadium was built to look kind of like a regular old stadium from Greece. It was about the size of a football-field and it was over eight stories high with seats all around to watch, kind of like the Coliseum. But, its appearances could also change. With a simple command automatons of different types of monsters could rise out of the ground, and depending on the difficulty setting you choose, the monsters would vary in both number and variety.

I was currently in the beginner mode and the monsters were just regular automatons with only one built in function to them: walk in circles.

I was borrowing a quiver and bow from my cabin's councilor, Will Solace, who was the only one of my siblings to actually treat me with hospitality despite my lack of skills.

I nocked the arrow back and aimed towards the automaton to my far right, since it was the one with a malfunctioning leg thus causing it to slowly spin around instead of walking in a circle.

Sweat dripped down my eyes and I focused directly at the automaton's head.

I released my grip and let the arrow fly…..completely away from the automaton's head.

"Jeez! Why can't I hit a stupid automaton in the stupid head?" I yelled. I sat down in defeat and brought my knees to my head. _Why'd you have to go and claim me as your kid if all I am is just an embarrassment to be your son, Dad? _I thought. I looked one last time at the bow and arrow and then out to the sky, where I saw the sun slowly dip down the horizon.

I got up sluggishly, picked up the bow and quiver, and started to walk out of the stadium.

_Well, there goes another wasted day trying to be a better hero. I should probably just quit while I'm at it _I thought bitterly.

"Oh, I wouldn't go so far as to quit after all those failures kid." Shouted a voice from far behind me.

Fear gripped my insides because no one should be in the stadium at this time of day. I immediately turned around and shot an arrow which landed a few feet away from a guy sitting high up in the stadium.

He looked about a college-age guy, no more than twenty-two but no younger than eighteen. He had short blond hair, and a bright smile. He had on some Ray Bans with headphones, a white shirt, and khaki pants with some Vans to match.

"Who are you?" I asked. Wary of the presence of this new guy. I knew every kid at this Camp since I was usually in the Big House helping to heal injuries that campers acquired during training or quests or even war, which was coming very soon with the Romans.

"Are you really asking me that question Alex?" laughed the Ray Bans dude. "Also, for futures sake, make sure you actually take the time to aim before you shoot, or else you're going to end up dead."

I felt my face get red. This guy was NOT making my day any better.

"I said, WHO ARE YOU?!" I yelled. I dropped the bow and arrow and picked up a sword lying a few feet away from me. It felt odd in my hands and unbalanced, but I figured I had a better chance with it then the bow and arrows. "I won't ask again!"

Suddenly, a flash had moved so fast my eyes couldn't comprehend the speed, and the Ray Bans dude was no longer up in the stadium.

"Isn't it obvious Alex?" sighed the Ray Bans dude from right behind me. I quickly turned around, dropping both my sword and my jaw. The Ray Bans dude suddenly had a bow with a quiver full of arrows strapped to his back. He smiled and boy was his smile bright, almost like the…sun.

"Apollo...Dad?" I gasped. I couldn't believe that this was the first time I was meeting my father and he wasn't what I expected at all. I had expected this all-powerful and wise-looking man to descend down from the heavens and finally guide me on the right path to being a hero.

"Yup, bet you couldn't recognize me though huh?" affirmed Apollo, he took off his Ray Bans to reveal a set of blue eyes that were the exact shade of the blue sky, which matched with his influence over the sun.

At first, I felt relief that my father had finally shown up, maybe that mean he could finally give me answers. At the same time though I felt anger bubbling down inside of me slowly rising. My father hadn't blessed me with any of his amazing abilities and because of that I was the outcast of the Apollo cabin.

"After ALL this time, you come and meet with me NOW?!" I growled. My fists were balled together and the skin over my knuckles became white as I gripped my hand tightly, barely containing all my pent up feelings of disappointment and abandonment issues.

The grin on Apollo's face slowly faded as he looked away, was there a hint of shame in his expression? I couldn't tell.

"I'm sorry Alex, but you know Olympus has been closed down by Zeus and all contact from us has been forbidden." explained Apollo, he rose his hands in a sign of surrender and his face continued looking away.

"I came to this Camp WAY before Olympus shut down!" I argued. "All my other brothers and sisters saw you but I've never even met you until now?! And during the time of war and the end of the world to boot!"

It felt nice to yell at my father, being able to let out all these past months stress and pain from all that was going on.

"That's not completely true!" exclaimed Apollo. He turned toward me with a look of shame on his face. I didn't think gods ever felt shame in their entire, well, immortal lives. "I visited you once when you were born at the hospital. Trust me, I wish I could have been there more for you and your mom-"

"Don't you dare bring her up!" I interrupted. How could he bring up Mom after all this time? After all that has happened. "You left us, end of story."

If gods could show pain and guilt, Apollo sure did show a lot of it.

"Look, I can't change what happened and for that I'm sorry Alex, but I have come down here in order to tell you something very important." mumbled Apollo, the look on Apollo's face changed almost instantly from someone who held much guilt and pain to one held with determination.

"Wh-what is it?" I replied. The anger in me had left me as fast as it came.

I couldn't really stay mad at my dad because deep down, I was still just glad he was at least here now. He was a god and had many duties, so I could understand, but I still felt some resentment in the idea that he could have at least tried to visit me before.

"It's about the current great prophecy, you know about it right?" Apollo asked.

"Of course, how could I not have heard about the prophecy? That's all anybody here has been talking about." I answered.

I raised my eyebrow in confusion because I didn't know what my father was getting at, as most gods were confusing.

"Well, your prayers have been answered. You must go to Athens and assist the crew of the Argo II in their battles against the giants and prevent Gaea from rising." declared Apollo.

I stood there for about a good five seconds registering my Dad's words.

"What?" I blurted. Out of nowhere, I was suddenly expected to go on a quest that determined the fate of the world.

"I-I don't understand. Why am I supposed to go? I haven't even been here for a year, and suddenly I'm expected to go on a legendary quest?" I questioned

"I know this is sudd-" confessed Apollo.

"Of course this is sudden! This makes no sense. I'm literally a useless hero, all I can do is heal and I can't even fight! I'd just be a liability no matter what I did!" I interjected. I looked down with shame in my expression this time, because I knew all I said was true.

"Why me? There are so many more other campers who are more capable. Your other son Will! He's a war veteran, he'd be the obvious choice when it came to a child of Apollo! It can't be me because I can't do anything…" I muttered.

"That is not true Alex!" shouted Apollo. My father then placed his hand on my shoulder. And it felt both so warm and comfortable, a lot like a parent's touch would be. "The answers may not be clear to you now, but you will find them on this quest."

It felt nice to know my father had confidence in me, but it didn't get rid of this other feeling I harbored inside of myself: fear.

"I-I'm scared Dad… I've never had so much responsibility thrust onto me, what if I fail?" I admitted.

"Even the greatest heroes get scared Alex, but fear is a good thing too." Apollo assured. "Fear isn't something evil, those great heroes use it to learn their weaknesses and become even stronger-"

He then withdrew his hand from my shoulder and looked me right in the eyes, with a look of pride in me.

"-As well as gentle, which is why you are the one to go on this quest, because you are the most gentle child here" Apollo answered.

It took me three seconds to register his words again, and then tears started to fall from my eyes. I had quickly wiped them away, being embarrassed for crying in front of my Dad. Instead of looking like a regular teenager, Apollo actually started to look like a father to me. Fear in my gut had been replaced by a fierce sense of pride in my father's words.

"OK…..then what do I do?" I wondered.

I had never been on a quest before, so I wasn't familiar with the process.

Apollo beamed with pride once more.

"Well, it's time we both visit my favorite person in this whole world!" Apollo proclaimed.

"Who's that?" I questioned

"Why, the Oracle of Delphi of course! Or as you know her, Rachel!" Apollo pointed out.

Apollo then touched my forehead and there was a bright flash. Suddenly we were on a trail in the forest of Camp Half-Blood where we played Capture the Flag. I looked around and I saw up ahead a small mountain where the trail went up to a mysterious looking cave. It looked like a regular old cave, but from within I could sense the presence of something ancient dwelling.

"Well Alex, now you must go up the trail and be issued your prophecy." Apollo advised "I'll wait here until you get back."

I then started to walk up the trail and I took one last look at my father before I started back up the hill. _Well, I guess I got what I wanted, now let's hope I don't die on this quest_ I thought.

Time to start my quest to help save the world.


	2. Chapter 2: The Prophecy

**Disclaimer: This book series belongs to Rick Riordan. Remember guys, Rate and Review for me ;D I'd also like some follows and favorites too hahaha. If you guys like the story, I will be updating a lot since it is thanksgiving break for me this week. Don't worry, just a few more chapters until we get the POV's of the Argo II crew. Let me know what myths you want the crew to experience as well as any other suggestions. I do have an overall plot planned out, but I'm open to anything you guys suggest hahaha. Sorry for the long author's note, so enjoy! ;)**

Alex's POV

I continued to follow the trail until I had reached the base of the cave where our Oracle was said to reside in when she comes to Camp during the summer. For a 16 year old girl, her taste in décor was really weird. The entrance of the cave had both stalagmites and stalactites in the very front, making the entrance to the Oracle's cave look almost identical to the mouth of a snake. The way it looked made it look more terrifying.

Slowly and carefully, I made my way into the cave and came across these purple curtains blocking the rest of the way inside. I braced myself because this was the first time I would have been issued a prophecy. I had only seen what it looked like to be issued a prophecy once during the time Jason first arrived to camp. It was a pretty scary experience, and I was surrounded by dozens of demi-gods. I was about to go through that all by myself this time. I took a deep breath and exhaled. I then opened the curtains and walked into absolute darkness.

Immediately I wanted to turn back, but I couldn't find the curtains anymore which was really weird because they were literally right behind me. I took another couple of steps forward in the dark, trying to make sure I didn't accidentally fall down and hit my head. That would be entirely lame for me to be found knocked unconscious in the Oracle's cave.

"He-hello? Anybody here?" I murmured. It was silent for about 10 seconds. I decided to slowly back out because of the creepy silence and wanted to get the heck out of there when I literally bumped into somebody and fell face forward. Classic, I know.

"Ouch! Jeez, I told Apollo that the whole _dark cave scene_ was totally cliché and that somebody could get hurt walking around in here." growled the mysterious voice. I then heard a double-clap and suddenly industrial lights turned on. The inside of the cave was _totally_ decked out with a nice living-room with a flat-screen TV, a kitchen that came with a dining table, and a hallway that leaded into what I would think would be the bedroom and bathroom. Against the walls of the cave were plenty pieces of artwork which portrayed certain battle scenes from the Second Titan War like Clarisse slaying the Drakon, the defeat of the Titan Hyperion at the hands of Percy and the satyrs, and etc. Though there were clothes, art supplies, and unfinished canvases lying around so the place also looked pretty messy. All in all, I reminded myself to take back everything I said about Rachel not having a sense of decoration.

"Alex, is that you?" inquired the voice from behind me. I turned around and found myself looking at a cute girl with frizzy and long red hair. She had green eyes and her face was covered with freckles. She was wearing an "Art Rocks" t-shirt and blue jeans that had paint and holes on them which looked like she poked her pants with a fork for fun. It was Rachel. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, um, I came here on orders of Apollo who said I was supposed to get a prophecy about myself…" I stammered. This was the first time I actually ever talked to Rachel and those green eyes of hers were kind of intimidating, which caused me to look away from her. Rachel narrowed her eyes at me and put her hands on her hips.

"You're supposed to get a prophecy? Now of all times? Why is that?" inquired Rachel.

"Apollo said I had a part to play in the great prophecy, and that I needed to assist the Seven with their battle in Athens." I answered. Her gaze seemed to narrow even more when suddenly out of nowhere her face seemed to get pale and the intensity of her eyes had started to fade.

"So that's what it all means. It's all starting to make sense…" whispered Rachel. She ran past me with that same expression and into the hallway, leaving me in a confused state. "Stay right there! I'll be back!" Rachel yelled.

_Why did she give me that look as if she realized something terrifying?_ I wondered. I decided to shake away the thought.

I slowly got up and walked further into the living room when I came across a full body length mirror to the side of the living room by an un-finished canvas drawing of what looked like two people kissing, though it was unfinished so I couldn't tell who the two were, but it was by a waterfall with the moon shining above the two people. I then looked at the mirror and noticed how much I had changed during my time here at Camp Half-Blood.

I was wearing the standard Camp Half-Blood t-shirt with black jeans and my Vans. I had black hair that was recently cut to be shorter since my longer hair was getting kind of distracting. I had become taller than I was last year which was a good thing because of the fact that most Asian guys were kind of short. I had also become tanner since I trained in the sun all day, which got rid of my originally pale skin. The thing that surprised me the most was the way my eyes had changed. I don't mean my brown eye color. In my eyes, I could see a sense of weariness as well as sadness. Like I said, a lot has changed this past year, so I guess that explains why.

I tore my gaze away from the mirror when I heard Rachel come back from her bedroom and was walking back toward me. She was carrying a sketchpad with her and looked kind of nervous. She walked towards her green couch and sat down, sketch book in hand, gesturing for me to sit right next to her. I walked to the couch and then plopped myself down right next to her.

"It's all starting to make more sense Alex! This explains my recent dreams that I've been having." exclaimed Rachel.

She started to flip through her sketchbook which showed drawings of a familiar-looking kid doing lots of things from fighting monsters, to laughing and hanging out with other familiar-looking kids as well as new ones too. She then handed me the sketchbook. It took me a few seconds to realize that the familiar-looking kid that took up most of these drawings was me.

"I-is that me? Why have you been drawing pictures of me?" I gasped. It was all starting to become even more confusing and I didn't know what to think of this situation anymore.

"That's the point Alex!" emphasized Rachel. She let out a huff of annoyance as if she was getting irritated with the fact that she didn't understand any of this as much as I did.

"I don't know why, but lately these visions and dreams I've been having always seemed to show one thing: you in the homeland of Olympus fighting with the Seven." continued Rachel.

"So, I guess Apollo was right." I muttered. I closed Rachel's sketchbook and set it down on the coffee table. "I really do have a part to play in this quest."

"Yes, I do believe you hold a vital role in this quest." Rachel confirmed. She then took my hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "It doesn't make a lot of sense with everything that's happened these past few months, but I'm sure the answers will co-"

Rachel then doubled-over like someone punched her.

"Rachel! Are you okay?!" I yelled. I grabbed her by the shoulders and tried to get a good look at her face. She then jolted up and stared at me with terrifying and glowing green eyes while a green mist started to form around us. _This is not good!_ I thought. Rachel then whispered in a voice that sounded ancient and very snake-like.

_You will journey to the homeland, Child of Sun_

_The world will rise, the end shall come_

_Heroes will join and together they fight_

_Storm and Fire, the two must unite_

_The final battle, you will embark_

_And save a love, from the endless dark_

Rachel then fell towards me and her body went limp and pale. I sat there stunned with the Oracle of Delphi lying on top of me. Normally I'd be pretty stoked if I was holding a girl in my arms, but I don't think it's really the same thing when said girl has passed out.

I quickly got up and set Rachel down on the couch. _I have to wake her up somehow_. I put one hand on her forehead and started to concentrate.

The rays of light from the room started to bend towards me and my hand that was on her forehead started to glow with a bright light. After a few seconds, the light on my hand died and Rachel got up with a start.

"Wh-what happened?" Rachel cried. She no longer looked pale, but her green eyes were still filled with shock.

"You gave me my prophecy" I mumbled. Since the sun had gone down, I had to use my own energy to take the energy from the industrial lights on the ceiling in order to heal Rachel. Doing so tires me out a bit, but I had gotten used to it so much that all it did now was just make me a bit tired. "I suppose you don't remember what you said?"

"No, not really. Every time I give a prophecy I tend to pass out and forget what happens." Rachel pointed out. "So, if you may, can you please fill me in?"

I told Rachel the prophecy and her eyebrows seemed to knit together like this news was starting to trouble her. _I guess it would worry anybody when part of the prophecy mentions that the end of the world will be coming no matter what. This really puts a damper on my summer._

"Okay, well, first of all, you're going to have to go to Epirus in Greece to the temple known as the House of Hades." Rachel stated.

"Why would I have to go there? Isn't the final battle in Athens?" I questioned.

"Because that's where the Doors of Death are located, duh." Rachel retorted. This girl is pretty darn spunky. "Plus, that's where the others are meeting to get Annabeth and Percy out of Tartarus while also closing the Doors of Death."

Wait, what!?" I blurted. "Those two are in Tartarus?! How'd this all happen?"

"It was during their quest to retrieve the Athena Parthenos." Rachel explained. "Arachne pulled Annabeth into Tartarus as she fell into this huge hole and Percy went in with her. So that's why the others are going to Epirus, to save them and close the Doors."

As Rachel continued to explain the situation, the news surprised me as well as worried me. _How the heck are they gonna make it through Tartarus?_ I didn't have the time though to keep worrying about them. I had to do my part and hoped I could get there in time to help them. They would most likely be very injured if they made it out alive and it'd be up to me to heal them.

"Well, I guess now that you gave me my prophecy and the information I need, I should get going." I sighed

I got up and started towards the entrance of the cave. _Now all I gotta do is just catch up with the Seven...in Epirus…crossing deadly waters… by myself. Oh yeah, this was gonna be easy._

"Wait!" ordered Rachel. I stopped in my tracks and turned around, waiting to hear what she was going to say. Instead, I felt Rachel give me a hug while burying her face against my chest.

"Make sure you help them anyway you can OK? They're gonna need all the help they can get." pleaded Rachel.

"O-ok. I promise" I assured. I wasn't so sure I could keep that promise. I wasn't much of a warrior and I wasn't too sure I could get there on my own without dying in the process. But I felt like I had to try and keep hope for the both of us by making this promise.

"Good luck and be careful." Rachel warned. She then gave me a kiss on the cheek, let go of me, and walked away back to her room. It wasn't a romantic kiss or anything, but just the kind that a friend would give another when saying goodbye. Though I hoped that goodbye was temporary.

I walked out of the cave and down the trail to the same spot where I had left my Dad. I came up to him while he seemed to be gazing wistfully at the sun during the sunset. He seemed to have not moved an inch from when I last left him.

"Dad, I got my prophecy from Rachel." I reported. His gaze towards the sun was instantly broken and he seemed to remember that I was there.

"Oh, alright then! I guess your quest begins." Apollo decided. "First things first, I need to give you something. It should answer certain questions you've always been wondering."

Apollo then took out of his pocket a ball-point pen and handed it to me. He looked at the pen as if it was a rare artifact and need to be treated as delicately as possible.

"Um, what am I supposed to do with this? Write a poem and hope it puts Gaea to sleep?" I joked. Apollo couldn't be serious about giving me a pen for a deadly quest.

"Click it." Apollo pointed out. He said it as if would make sense.

I then clicked the pen and it suddenly turned into a bronze sword. The sword was balanced in my hand and it felt like I had been wielding it all my life.

"I-is this Riptide?" I asked. I had seen Percy wield that sword many times when he taught my cabin how to sword fight for our daily activities during the summer. That was before he disappeared mysteriously though.

"No, it isn't Percy's sword. Though I guess you could say it is similar, but at the same time it's the opposite." Apollo mentioned.

I took a better look at the sword and did see there was a difference in it from Percy's Riptide. Although the swords look almost exactly alike, on the hilt of the sword, the name was different. It read _Afixisiílios._

"Rising Sun" I translated. "Why is it named that?"

"Because, how Riptide was forged in the seas and it draws its power from the water, this sword was forged in the flames of the sun and draws its power from sun itself." Apollo presented. "This sword was given to me by Helios, and he said that there would come a day when it would be wielded by one of my children, and that day is today."

I looked at the blade in amazement and started to feel the raw power it took to forge a sword like this. _Was this how Percy felt when he wielded Riptide? Speaking of that, how do I sheath this thing since I don't have a cap?_ Almost automatically when I thought of the word _sheath_, the sword turned back into an ordinary pen.

"Whoa, that is cool." I stated. I put the pen into my pocket and I could feel the warmth of the sun from it.

"This is why you always sucked at archery Alex, because you were destined to wield this sword." Apollo explained.

"That doesn't explain why I can't do any of the other things my siblings can do like, sing, play an instrument, write poe-" I ranted.

"Because you have other abilities besides your healing one that none of your other siblings have." Apollo interrupted. He put his hand on my forehead and a bright flash came. "And now they will have awoken, in time for this quest too."

I didn't feel any different. In fact, I still felt the same.

"Um, I'm gonna guess you won't be telling me what any of these abilities are, huh?" I asked.

"Nope, I can't assist you any further than I already have. I was only given a small amount of time to let you know what you needed to know, give you the sword, and awaken your powers." Apollo answered. "Here, I brought you your backpack filled with some spare clothes, food, and drachmas as well as some regular mortal money."

Apollo handed me my backpack and I started to look over my provisions when a thought occurred to me.

"Hey Dad, how am I supposed to get all the way to Epirus? There isn't enough money in here for a plane ticket." I wondered. Was he gonna give me a lift all the way to Epirus? I could imagine me flying with my Dad in his sun chariot, teaching me how to drive. The idea almost made me laugh.

"Nope, I gotta go actually right now, though I will tell you this. Your ride is going to be in a clearing down that way." Apollo responded. He pointed to my left, towards the direction where I would have to leave camp borders and cross through the Roman's encampment site. "Also, you might want to hurry, because curfew just passed and those camp harpies are coming after you."

As soon as he said that, I could hear the harpies from a distance shouting and coming closer.

"One last thing Alex. Be careful." Apollo warned. He gave me one last look of concern, but at the same time, an expression of sadness. I closed my eyes as he achieved his true form and disappeared, leaving me alone in the dark with harpies on my trail.

I stood there for a bit taking in everything that had happened today, only to be shocked back into reality by the increasing volume of the harpies' cries.

I strapped on my backpack and ran straight into the darkness, my father's and Rachel's warnings echoing in my head.

_Be Careful_


	3. Chapter 3: Hitching A Ride

**Disclaimer: PJO and HoO belong to Rick Riordan. So, this is the last chapter towards the introduction of Alex. I will now start doing the POV's of the Argo II crew but will continue Alex's POV as well throughout the story. Please Rate and Review, as well as favorite and follow! It'll be gladly appreciated and make me feel REALLY happy! :D **

Alex's POV

I wish I could say that I decided to stand my ground instead of running. I wish I could say I took out Rising Sun and decided to fight. I wish I could say that I defeated the evil harpies and finally became a real hero, ready to take on whatever Gaea and the Giants could throw at me. Too bad that would be lying.

What I really did was run for my life and think _AGGGGHHHHH! DON'T EAT ME!_

Manly, I know right?

Now, it wasn't really the fact that I was scared of the harpies because they were super terrifying. I had faced worst monsters during our Capture the Flag games as well as the Camp's Monster Fighting class. It was more of the fact that I got along well with the harpies whenever I was assigned dish duty by my fellow cabin mates (which was a lot). I didn't want to kill them because they were nice to me and I knew they were just doing their job. So I decided the best thing for the both of us was to just outrun them and not get caught.

I knew once they reached the camp borders they would not be able to pursue me any further due to its magical properties. _Let's just hope I get there in time_. I could still hear the harpies in the far distance, so I knew I had a good chance of making it.

As I passed Thalia's pine tree I knew got rid of the harpies, but now I would have to go through the rest of the forest where I wouldn't be protected by a magical barrier and have to face deadlier monsters. I was taught that demi-gods were known to put out a scent that monsters could track from miles away, so I would have to be prepared for an ambush at any point.

_Oh boy, there's no turning back now._ I stopped by a nearby tree and propped myself up by it. I was tired and dirty with sweat from all the running I had done.

It had been over ten months since I had been here at Camp Half-Blood, and I barely realized that I had never left the Camp during that time. It felt nice to be outside of the Camp and for a few seconds, everything felt like it was normal again. I remembered a time when it was just me and my Mom, together and happy. Before all this monsters and gods business had started and when I didn't have to be afraid for my life. When all I had to worry about was girls and school, not wondering if this day was going to be my last.

I snapped back to reality, remembering the danger of the situation I was currently in. I was now out in the very real and very dangerous world. I was probably gonna get attacked by some monsters if I stayed any longer.

I took Rising Sun out of my pocket and clicked it. It then changed forms into a three-foot long blade. It felt natural in my hand as well as balanced. I could feel warmth radiating from the sword, which was a good thing since it was cold outside. I didn't have much experience fighting with a sword, so I hoped I wouldn't have to run into any monsters for a while. I knew I would have to rely on what I remembered Percy teaching me and my cabin about the techniques of sword fighting, which was a lot to remember being the fact that he was one of the greatest swordsman I knew.

I held up Rising Sun and saw it also radiated a light like how a Celestial Bronze blade would. I started to slowly walk towards the direction my father pointed out for me where I would find a clearing and some sort of ride. My dad wasn't very specific about what I would find, as most gods were very annoying when it came to hints, but I knew I would have to trust my father.

I kept walking in the same direction for what seemed like a few hours. So far, nothing had happened except for the occasional noises in the background which really turned out to be some rabbits or deer. Even with the quiet peace around me, I still didn't let my guard down. I felt like there was something out there watching me. _It's been too quiet. Why hasn't something hap-_

Almost immediately after that thought, I heard the loud crack of a branch from a tree behind me and heard a loud _FWOOSH_ sound as if something was thrown right at me. I jumped and took cover behind a tree right next to me. I looked back to the spot I was originally standing in to see a few spikes impaled into the forest floor.

"Who's out there?" I shouted. Not a smart move to give away your location, but as most monsters were pretty good at hunting during night, I felt it didn't make much of a difference. "I'm warning you, I've got a weapon and I'll destroy you if you come any closer."

"Oh, you'll destroy me? That is quite big talk coming from someone who's cowering behind a tree" spoke the mysterious voice. The only thing I could pick up from that voice is some terrible French accent. "I shall kill you and then eat you, upon the orders of Gaea."

_Gaea? Does that mean she's already trying to get rid of me?_ I realized my hands were shaking. I knew I had to calm down and try to figure out a way to kill this monster. I figured this monster was a few hundred feet away from me, perched in a tree somewhere waiting for me to move.

Suddenly, I heard another branch break, but this time in front of me. I looked up to see a man's face with two different colored eyes; brown and blue, a lion's body, and a huge scorpion's tail flying right at me. I immediately slashed upward and barely grazed the side of the monster's face. It wasn't a fatal blow, but enough to knock it off course to my side. I then ran as fast as I could in the direction towards the clearing my father supposedly said that had a ride for me to Greece.

_A manticore! Oh no! They never taught us how to fight these in Camp Half-Blood._ I kept running and could hear a roar of anger from behind me.

"NO ONE BESTS DR. THORN! I SHALL CATCH YOU AND FEAST ON YOUR BLOOD AND FLESH!"

I took note of that, and high-tailed it out of there.

I kept running, focusing only on what was ahead of me. Behind me I could hear Dr. Thorn chasing after me by jumping through the trees. I knew it was only a matter of time before he caught up to me and I knew I would be dead.

Far ahead, I could see a tiny light in the distance. _The clearing! Maybe if I get there I'll be able to fight on better ground then this forest._ I knew with the darkness and the trees Dr. Thorn had the advantage, but if I could get to a well-lit area, I might have a chance.

_It's so far away! AGH! I just gotta keep running!_ I could also hear Dr. Thorn closing in on me. I kept my focus on that light and knew it would be the last thing I ever saw as I heard him take one final leap with his tail ready to deal the final blow. I then blinked and suddenly a bright flash had happened.

Suddenly I wasn't in the forest anymore but a clearing with a girl standing right in front of me. I was still sprinting and I couldn't stop myself from running into this girl full force. We rolled around and came to a stop with her on top of me. I was dazed as well as tired and moved my hand upward and I touched something…_soft_. As everything came into focus, I realized the soft thing I was touching was this girl's…chest. A moment later, I heard a loud shriek and felt a hard slap across my face.

"Pervert! How dare you touch me!" shouted the girl. "Who are you?"

I got up and started to rub my cheek from where she slapped me. I looked at her and found myself blushing. She was sitting on her knees with her hands over her chest. She had this dark long hair in a braid down to her side. She also had dark brown eyes that seemed to stare at me with a look of rage. Most people would have probably been intimidated by her regal gaze, but I was more intrigued with it because of how, well, attractive it made her look. She was wearing a purple t-shirt and some jeans with a dagger to her side. There was a pile of armor and a purple cloak next to her. _Wow, she looks cute when she's angry. I better tell her who I am or else she might skewer me with that dagger._

I sat up and put Rising Sun down by my side since she seemed to stare at the blade warily. I began my introduction.

"Um, well, my name is Alex Wang, Son of Apollo." I know it's not a good idea to reveal who you are to random strangers, but I felt that this girl was one of the good guys and that I could possibly trust her.

I then remembered about my father telling me that I would find a ride here in this clearing. I looked around and saw that there was a camp fire, which explained the light. I also noticed that by the camp fire was a small tent and a brown pegasus eating some grass by it.

"Are you supposed to be my ride to Greece?"

She slowly lowered her hands, but her gaze was still as hard as ever.

"What do you mean by _ride_ to Greece? Explain yourself further." She got up and pulled out her dagger as if I was a dangerous enemy, which was kind of understandable being that I kind of showed up out of nowhere.

Suddenly, a huge shadow leaped out of the forest and landed a hundred feet away from me and the girl. It was Dr. Thorn, and he looked very angry too.

"THERE YOU ARE SUN SPAWN!" He perched himself on all fours and prepared to strike. "I SEE YOU'VE ALSO PREPARED ME ANOTHER MEAL! NOW I SHALL DEVOUR YOU BOTH!"

I got up right away, Rising Sun in my hand, and put myself in between the girl and Dr. Thorn.

"Don't worry, I got this. I won't let him hurt y-" Out of nowhere, the girl ran past me towards him with her dagger ready to fight the manticore with no hesitation.

I was shocked to see how well she dodged and danced around his scorpion's tail every time he tried to strike her. She would dodge one strike and slash or stab Dr. Thorn in some random spot. Unfortunately, it didn't seem to do much as he was only getting angrier.

"AGH! YOUR DEATH SHALL BE PAINFUL!" Dr. Thorn bellowed.

"Not as painful as yours will be monster!" cried the girl. She then stabbed her dagger all the way to the hilt into Dr. Thorn's shoulder. He yelled in fury and smacked her with his scorpion's tail, sending her flying about thirty feet. I ran and caught her just as she landed. She looked at me with fear and tried to squirm her way out of my arms when she suddenly gasped and clutched her gut.

"B-broke some of my ribs" She coughed.

"Stay here. I'll handle this" I ordered. I laid her down gently as she spit out blood. She gave me one last look of doubt and passed out. _That hit did a lot more damage than she's letting on. I have to stop Dr. Thorn or else._

As I turned around I saw him lunge straight at us, covering the distance between us in the matter of seconds. I didn't have time to react as I felt his tail piece through my stomach. I had moved in time to the point where he only stabbed my left kidney, but I fell limply against his tail feeling the poison entering my body.

Dr. Thorn laughed as I was slowly dying with his tail in my gut. He leaned into me and started to gloat.

"Looks like the big _hero_ failed in his quest." He sneered. "Now I shall devour you and this girl"

"I-I didn't f-fail yet." I muttered. I used the last of my strength to bring Rising Sun upward straight through the manticore's jaw and out his head. Dr. Thorn then started to disappear into golden dust, leaving me behind poisoned and dying.

I fell down onto my knees and started to make my way to the girl. _Ugh, I need…to hurry… I can still help her._

I put one hand on her ribs, and held the other hand towards the camp fire. _I hope this works._

I started to concentrate despite the poison coursing through my veins, slowly killing me. The light around the campfire started to dim and grow brighter in my direction. I could feel the energy of the light entering my body and I expended that energy towards the girl's injuries. There was a bright glow on my hands for a few seconds, and then it stopped.

The girl got up with a start, clutching and feeling around her ribs. She had a look of shock in her eyes and then noticed that I had a big gaping hole in my gut.

"Oh my gods! You're hurt! Hold on, I have some ambrosia and nectar in my tent, I'll be b-"

I grabbed her hand to stop her from leaving and looked her in the eyes.

"N-no, just b-bring me closer to t-the camp…fire." I was starting to lose consciousness. I needed to hurry or else I was gonna die. "T-trust me."

She nodded in confusion and dragged me towards the camp fire. I could feel myself slowly fading in and out. I felt light-headed, not knowing if that was from the poison or the loss of blood. She propped me by the camp fire. I then put one hand on the hole, and held the other to the camp fire. _This is gonna use A LOT of energy, gotta focus._

I concentrated and focused as hard as I could, absorbing the energy of light from the camp fire. Everything started to dim again, but this time even more rapidly. The bright glow came again on my hand and I could feel it closing the hole and healing the poison. Then the camp fire went out and everything went dark.

(Line Break)

I woke up to find it was daybreak, and that the girl was packing up everything and securing it all onto her pegasus. I sat up and felt around my stomach to feel that the hole was gone and I didn't feel any of the poison anymore in my body. As the sun made it completely over the horizon and its rays shone down on the clearing, I felt so much better and a lot stronger too. _I guess it makes sense to feel stronger as a child of Apollo when you feel the sun's beams on you._

"I see you've woken up" I then turned to look at the girl who was finished packing and wearing a full set of armor with her purple cloak wrapped around her. She looked fierce and strong. I got up and walked towards her. "Thank you again for, doing whatever it was that you did last night."

"Oh, I just healed you. You know, son of the god of medicine, kind of comes with the territory" I assured.

She let out a small laugh which sounded wonderful to me, but she seemed to realize this and immediately went back to talking to me in a formal matter.

"So, like I said last night. I want to know what you meant by saying I was your ride to Greece." She looked at me again, trying to size me up as if she was trying to figure out my worth.

"Well, I'm on a quest. A quest to help the Argo II crew with the final battle against Gaea." I announced. "My father Apollo told me I would find the way to get there if I came to this clearing, and now I'm here to find that you have a pegasus."

She narrowed her eyes and seemed to be registering whether or not if my words were true.

"Are you from Camp Half-Blood?" She asked.

"Yes, I am, and I assume you're from Camp Jupiter, what with your purple shirt and gold dagger." I answered.

After a long pause, the girl responded to me. "Yes, I am from Camp Jupiter."

I was confused as to why this Roman was so far away from their base camp. So I just decided since we were both in a deadly battle against a monster together and I healed her injuries, I could toss formalities out the window.

"So, enough beating around the bush, what are you doing all the way out here by yourself? And who are you?" I asked bluntly. I wanted answers and I wanted them now.

She stared at me for a few seconds, hesitating on whether or not to answer me.

"My name is Reyna, and I'm also going to Greece." She sighed. I was caught off guard by her answer. _Why is she going to Greece? Isn't her camp trying to destroy my camp?_

"And to answer your question as what I'm doing all the way out here, I was planning on resting for one night before I departed because I simply wanted to be away from all of it."

It took me a bit to realize that she was talking about the war between the camps. I felt a little better to know that some of the Roman campers didn't want this war just as much as we did.

"I see. Well, if you're going to Greece and I'm going to Greece, we should team up and go together." I proposed. "That way, our chances of surviving and getting there in one piece is a lot better."

She looked at me apprehensively.

"What makes you think I'm willing to go all the way to Greece with you? I can take care of myself." Reyna argued.

"I'm not saying you can't" I admitted. I knew she could take care of herself. It was more because I knew I needed the help, and seeing how well she could fight, I could pick up a few things from her. "I'm just saying, we're both trying to stop the end of the world, so why not work together. It's for both our best interests."

Reyna stared at me again for a few more seconds before she crossed her arms and sighed.

"Alright then, I guess I will allow this temporary partnership between the two of us, if it will increase our chances of success."

I could feel my heart racing as she said that. I was happy because that finally meant I could now begin my quest and help the others in Greece. But, I was also kind of happy for another reason that I couldn't really figure out.

I walked over to get my stuff when a question popped into my head. I grabbed my backpack and walked over to Reyna who was already mounted on her pegasus.

"So, Reyna, why are you going to Greece in the first place?" I asked.

"To retrieve the Athena Parthenos and bring it back here, in hopes that it will prevent war between our camps and heal the rivalry we've held all these years." Reyna replied. "I was asked to do this because of a message from Annabeth, and I will honor that promise."

I was shocked to hear her answer. I was wondering what would be the consequences for a Roman camper to desert their camp in time of war to just get some statue.

"What did your superior officers say when you told them you were going on this quest?" I wondered if she was going to be punished harshly. I remember in middle school learning about Rome and its empire. I knew they didn't take to traitors kindly.

"I AM Camp Jupiter's superior officer. I am Praetor of the Twelfth Legion Fulminata!" Reyna declared. She had a look of regal power and grace as she said those words. It made her look kind of like a goddess, beautiful and ready to go into battle.

"Oh, should I bow then since I'm in front of someone with such a high position?" I joked. I pretended to bow and heard a laugh come up from above. I looked up and saw that Reyna's usual tough girl act was slowly breaking as she laughed at my joke. _Wow, her laugh sounds amazing._

"Shut up and get on." Reyna then extended her hand and helped me get onto her pegasus. "Ready to go?"

"As ready as I'll ever be Princess." I joked.

Reyna turned back to me with a look of annoyance and amusement. I smirked at her.

"Don't. Call me Princess." She threatened. She turned back and her pegasus broke into a run and then flew off the ground towards the horizon. I stared out towards the sun and prayed to my Dad that we would get there safely.

_It's finally begun. Time to stop the end of the world. _


End file.
